Africa-Europe Ocean Strategic Group drives the partnership between two continents

On 10 October 2024 the Africa-Europe Ocean Strategic Group presented its report on how to help the two continents work together on ocean issues.   

The group has been set up by the European Commission, in partnership with the African Union Commission, and it is run by the Africa-Europe Foundation with funding from the European Commission (European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF )).  

The report arises from the realisation that ocean governance has been often absent in the Africa-Europe Partnership, despite the importance the ocean has for the blue planet and lives of millions of people, and despite the African and European Union acknowledging the urgent need to harness global action for the ocean. 

Ahead of important milestones like the UNFCCC CoP 29, the 7^th AU-EU Summit, and the 3^rd UN Ocean Conference, the report shows how Africa and Europe can strengthen their cooperation on ocean-related matters. This is even more important as the international community is engaged into major processes that will affect the ocean like the ratification and implementation of the BBNJ Agreement, the negotiations of the WTO fisheries subsidies Agreement or a Global Plastics Treaty.  

Executive Vice-President for European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight Maroš Šefčovič said: 

'I welcome this important report and I would like to express my gratitude to the Africa-Europe Ocean Strategic Group for having prepared it. I share the persuasion, clearly stated in the report, that is now high time for Europe and Africa to further develop their cooperation on ocean-related issues, given the poor state of the ocean and the need to accelerate collective action to meet the targets set in the UN 2030 Agenda. Africa and Europe have a real opportunity and joint responsibility here to take concrete actions.'

An enhanced cooperation 

The report underlines the areas where an enhanced cooperation could be materialised in an Africa-Europe Ocean Partnership between the African Union and the European Union. Such a partnership would: 

• increase the level of mutual understanding and alignment of ocean priorities between Africa and Europe, 
• expand the sharing of indigenous and modern knowledge as well as cutting-edge technologies between the two continents, and 
• increase collective momentum for ocean governance at international level. 

To support this partnership, the group developed also an action plan, called the 'Roadmap for an enhanced Africa-Europe Ocean Partnership'. It is structured around three priority areas:  

• ocean governance  
• capacity-sharing
• finance and investment

17 main actions within those areas have been identified, given a priority order (high, medium or low) and broken down into more than 100 concrete activities. 

Next steps 

The European Commission will analyse the recommendations put forward by the group and assess whether the proposed activities could be included in its work-programme for 2025 and beyond.  

Background 

This report is in line with President-elect von der Leyen announce of 'a new impetus on [the EU] mutual partnership with Africa ahead of the next [EU-AU] Summit in 2025'. It is also the outcome of a long journey that started in 2019 when the European Commission announced a new strategy between the EU and Africa. To translate the idea of a renewed partnership between the two continents on ocean governance, a study was launched to provide an analysis of the feasibility and modalities for setting up an EU-Africa ‘blue’ task force.  

The methodology followed an evidence-based approach, in which listening to stakeholders in Europe and Africa was essential. In 2023, the Africa-Europe Ocean Strategic Group was set up under the chairmanship of Pascal Lamy (France) and Ambassador Nancy Karigithu (Kenya). It was given a two-fold mandate: first, to define a common vision based on common priorities and objectives, and second, on that basis, to present a joint plan of action. Extensive stakeholders’ consultations and many events and awareness raising activities were organised. The group was run by the Africa-Europe Foundation through an EMFAF grant.  

More information 

• Final report of the Africa-Europe Ocean Strategic Group  
• Africa
• Ocean governance and blue economy: an emerging agenda for the Africa-Europe partnership 
• Ocean governance and blue economy
• Areas of Action | Africa-Europe Foundation (africaeuropefoundation.org) 
• Feasibility Study on establishing an EU-Africa Task Force for policy cooperation and dialogue on International Ocean Governance